For some, they are the source of amusement, for others they are the cruel incarnation of a paralyzing fear. The truth is that you should be scared by them, since the very makeup that they wear are the sign of corruption to humanity. Also, there have been so many horror movies which had debilitated clowns as protagonists, that it would be nearly impossible to ever look at them with innocent eyes. Nevertheless, most clowns are actually honest performers that care about nothing else than make people smile, and continuing a tradition that goes back millennium. Lets take a look at a few interesting things you probably didn’t know about clowns.
1. The Clown Commandments
Granted, clowns may not have ethical dilemmas that doctors, police officers or architects have, but they still have to abide by several rules of their on. They are called the Clown commandments, and they are fairly simple, yet extremely important to avoid being cataloged as one of those creepy guys you see in movies. The basic principle is to have a professional appearance and conduct, and always make people smile. Also, a clown is never allowed to drink during work.
2. The Clown College
Believe it or not, there is actually a College dedicated to clowns in this world. Although the term clown college is usually used to mock a low school, there really are places where people go to learn the art of… being silly. Did you know how difficult it is to be a clown? You have to know how to juggle, use make-up, make ridiculous face paintings and balloon shapes etc. Some of these schools (for example Ringling Brothers) get so many applicants, that they even have to sort through them.
3. The Great Clown of China
The Great Wall of China is called this way for a reason: it’s humongous. Soemwhere around 200 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang decided that he wanted to paint the entire wall. This would have meant sacrificing thousands of lives (because working conditions were poor), for little gain (stone lasts a millennia, paint only a few years). Obviously, nobody dared oppose the emperor, because they feared his wrath. No one except the court jester, that is. He painted a penis on the wall, received a punishment for it, and then was ordered by the Emperor to paint the wall himself. His response was that he is color blind. This encouraged the laughter of the court, and Qin Shi Huang was forced to forget about the idea.
4. The Clown of Northampton
We found this story particularly interesting, and it is probably the best proof that clowns are actually scary when you don’t interact with them in normal situations. In 2013, Northampton was faced with a bizarre situation: a creepy clown appeared into town out of nowhere, and somehow managed to scare everyone. The truth is that he didn’t do anything strange: he just showed up in bus stops and other awkward places, and stood still while holding a bunch of balloons. Residents were ready to impale him, but one terminally ill little girl asked to see him. Alex Powell, a 22 year old student that was the man behind the mask
5. The Infamous Clown Cars
No list would be complete without the hilarious clown cars that have been parodied and represented over and over again in pop culture. What basically happens, is that clowns climb in incredibly undersized cars while carrying huge props. You probably didn’t know, but clowns have to do complicated equations in order to get the stunts right.